xi, 429 pages : 24 cm

Robert Wuthnow and John H. Evans bring together a stellar collection of essays that paints a contemporary portrait of American Protestantism -- a denomination that has remained quietly, but firmly, influential in the public sphere. Mainline Protestants may have steered clear of the controversial, attention-grabbing tactics of the Religious Right, but they remain culturally influential and continue to impact American society through political action and the provision of social services

The contributors to this volume address religion's larger role in society and cover such topics as welfare, ecology, family, civil rights, and homosexuality. Pioneering, timely, and meticulously researched, The Quiet Hand of God will be an essential reference to the dynamics of American religion well into the twenty-first century

Includes bibliographical references and index

The logic of mainline churchliness : historical background since the Reformation / Peter J. Thuesen -- Mainline Protestant Washington offices and the political lives of clergy / Laura R. Olson -- The generous side of Christian faith : the successes and challenges of mainline women's groups / R. Marie Griffith -- Religious variations in public presence : evidence from the national congregations study / Mark Chaves, Helen M. Giesel, and William Tsitsos -- Connecting mainline Protestant churches with public life / Nancy T. Ammerman -- The changing political fortunes of mainline Protestants / Jeff Manza and Clem Brooks -- Furthering the freedom struggle : racial justice activism in the mainline churches since the civil rights era / Bradford Verter -- The hydra and the swords : social welfare and mainline advocacy, 1964-2000 / Brian Steensland -- Caring for creation : environmental advocacy by mainline Protestant organizations / Michael Moody -- Vital conflicts : the mainline denominations debate homosexuality / Wendy Cadge -- For the sake of the children? : family-related discourse and practice in the mainline / W. Bradford Wilcox -- From engagement to retrenchment : an examination of first amendment activism by America's mainline churches, 1980-2000 / Derek H. Davis -- Doing good and doing well : shareholder activism, responsible investment, and mainline Protestantism / Lynn Robinson -- Love your enemies? : Protestants and foreign policy in the United States / Lester Kurtz and Kelly Goran Fulton -- Beyond quiet influence? : possibilities for the Protestant mainline / Robert Wuthnow

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